Absolutely Mine

It took strength built by the wall I was erecting around my heart to ask, “Is Eddie available?”

Her coy smile suggested all manner of places he could be waiting for her return. I choked down the sarcasm and tried to remain calm. Why would he tell me to come over if he had company? It was the middle of the day. Did he want to rub it in my face that he’d moved on?

“He’s not here right now.”

The wheels began to turn in my head.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

“To surprise him, of course.” She said it like it should be obvious.

“So, he doesn’t know you’re here?”

Though she didn’t move, I felt her spine stiffen as she lifted a stubborn jaw.

“Sweetie, give it up. Trust me, you’re not his type. My only competition is this Jillian woman.”

I wanted to laugh. She had so dismissed me as a threat. She had no clue I was Jillian, not that she’d bothered to ask my name when we last met.

“Aren’t you into girls?” I asked, confused by this woman’s audacity.

“I like boys too. That’s why I was the one getting pregnant. Besides, Edward is a good man. I told Tracy as much. It’s the reason she took our story to the papers. I’d broken up with her to make things work with Edward.”

I was so taken aback by her openness, I didn’t hear the car pull up.

“Do you honestly think Eddie wants you back?”

Was she delusional? She used him and he knew it. How gullible did she think he was?

“Edward,” she said, all teeth and boobs, as she stood so they were on predominant display in the size too small shirt she was wearing.

His chest met my back as his hand possessively landed on my hips.

“Jillian,” he said and nuzzled my neck before placing a soft kiss there.

Chelsea lost all color, making her spray on tan appear sickly.

“What are you doing in my house, Chelsea?”

He may have sounded calm, but there was an underlying menace that gave me the chills.

“I—uh—wanted to surprise you,” she sputtered, hooking a thumb over her shoulder. “I—uh.”

“I want you out of my house and give me the keys,” he said.

“But the surprise,” she said.

“Now or I’ll call the police and have you arrested. There is a court order.”

She smoothed a hand down her hair. “You can’t mean that. You love me.”

“I never told you that,” he said.

Though I couldn’t see his face, I imagined the frosty gaze he sent her.

“Now,” he said, this time more forcefully.

She reached for something, which turned out to be her purse from a side table.

“You’re making a mistake,” she said, holding out the keys.

When he made no move to let me go, I plucked them from her hand. He shifted us so that she could leave. She got into the car that had been parked a few feet from mine. The Lexus was new and I’d assumed it had been Eddie’s even though it wasn’t his style. I never once guessed it had belonged to her.

“I need to change the gate code,” he muttered, something I’d thought about when I’d used the code. I followed him in as he continued to speak more to himself than me. “And the locks will be changed tomorrow. I don’t trust that she doesn’t have yet another set.”

Then he spun, caging me against the door. His mouth was there slanting over mine, tongue sliding across the seam of my lips, seeking entrance.

I gave in to the power of his lure and wrapped my arms around his neck. His hands slid down my back to cup my ass until I realized what he wanted. I hopped and wound my legs around his waist. It was sexy as hell he could carry me without any struggle.

With my eyes closed, I felt us going upstairs and opened them when he came to a complete stop. Immediately, I saw the problem. There were rose petals everywhere but especially the bed. I released my hold and slid down his body until my feet touched the floor.

“Wow,” I said, trying not to laugh.

He scrubbed a hand through his hair. “Some surprise.”

There was an open bottle of champagne on one of the night tables. There was no way in hell I was drinking that. Who knew if she’d spiked it? After talking to her, I couldn’t be sure.

“I can help you clean it up,” I offered, taking a step toward the bed.

He snagged my hand. “No.” Then he picked me up and I had a feeling what he was planning.

I squirmed against his hold and giggled as he only held on tighter.

“What do you think would be the biggest fuck you to Chelsea?”

I laughed as he tossed me onto the bed, stalking toward the place I landed.

The four-poster was massive and I started to think about him screwing her in this very bed until he covered me. His weight, along with his kiss, stole my breath and I forgot about Chelsea. Whatever he’d done with her hadn’t been recent. The room, outside of the explosion of flowers, appeared like it was cleaned on a regular basis. He had the right idea about the fuck you to her.